Knowledge of the Law and Professional Advancement of Catholic Religious Education Teachers in Poland

Abstract

In the 2022/2023 school year, changes were made to the education law in Poland, which affected the rules for the professional advancement of teachers, including those teaching Catholic religion and other religious denominations. Therefore, the aim of the article is to examine (i) to what extent have Catholic religious education teachers familiarised themselves with the education law in previous professional advancement procedures, and (ii) what formal-legal obligations and pedagogical challenges may arise when planning their professional development in the new procedure. Recent research shows that Catholic religious education teachers in Poland have extensive knowledge of education and religious law. There is a clear link between teachers’ career paths and their knowledge of the law. Many good practices have been developed in cooperation between pedagogical supervision units and individual dioceses.